Complete and Utter Zebu

One subject we did not cover in Complete and Utter Zebu was climate change. We aren’t scientists and, despite the enormity of what is at stake, much of what is written and spoken about the subject more resembles a bout of playground name-calling than serious intellectual debate.

On the eve of the Copenhagen climate, there is wry amusement to be from reading that there aren’t enough limousines in Denmark to cope with all those Very Important Persons turning up to lecture the rest of the world about the importance of cutting emissions. Majken Friis Joergensen, MD of Copenhagen’s biggest limousine company, said:

“We haven’t got enough limos in the country…We’re having to drive them in hundreds of miles from Germany and Sweden.”

Only five of the total are electric or hybrids. The airport is so far over its capacity that the private jets ferrying in their VIP passengers will have to take off again to find another airport at which to park, only to return again when their guests desire to leave. How very green.

But with the world’s attention on Copenhagen, why have we not heard more about several scandalous frauds involving carbon trading, frauds that rather inconveniently centre on Denmark’s own quotas? The Copenhagen Post ran the story under the headline:”Denmark rife with CO2 fraud.”

It is apparently easier to register quotas in Denmark than in most other countries. Once registered, they can then be traded in other EU countries and it seems that some unscrupulous types, whose hearts obviously aren’t true green, are doing so simply to work a VAT scam. Several investigations involving Denmark and other countries are under way, one involving a one billion pound VAT fraud which is being investigated in Britain.

Slightly embarrassing that this should have been exposed on the eve of Copenhagen. Perplexing that it should receive so little publicity, given the millions of words being devoted to all other aspects of the summit. No doubt the Danes don’t want to do anything to sully the warm welcome being extended to the delegates. It is a welcome so warm that the country’s 1,400-strong sex workers’ union is offering a freebie to any delegate with a bona fide delegate’s pass!